2010 will start off fast with Bayonetta. Set for release on the 5th (tomorrow!) this game will draw immediate comparisons to Devil May Cry. The gameplay is fast and furious, with the lead character (I don't remember her name) zooming around the screen with ninja-like skills, shooting the enemies whenever she pleases.
The controls are incredibly tight, which is needed when there is so much action on the screen. There are two attack buttons that are easily linked together by combos and typically bookmarked by flashy magical attacks. When certain enemies have been significantly weakened, they can be finished with a spectacularly excessive finishing magic move. The one I kept doing was encasing the enemy is a humongous iron maiden. It wasn't as showy as the other moves that I've seen, but it still got the job done and made me feel good.
I'd like to be able to tell you a little bit about the story, but I wasn't able to pick up on much. There is story there, but it's pretty confusing. I believe it involved a demonic woman who had a child with an angel, the offspring being our (anti?) hero. The first stage I was able to play pitted the lead against a slew of angelic-looking slayers many times the size of our heroine. She battled these creatures on the remnants of a church that was falling down. After finishing off a group of them, she would athleticly vault herself from rubble to rubble until landing on another falling slab that served as my next area to do battle upon. After an abrupt ending, I was scored for the stage.
The next scene opened up in a train which left me off at this station. After some further investigating by curiously hitting a button near select pieces of interest, I learned it was a station serving the heavens. After meandering around the lush environment I was assaulted in front of a fountain by creepy creatures sporting an odd cherub face. The game took the time out to teach me how to initiate Witch Time (slowing down time) by blocking an attack just before impact. It was a good time to teach me this new tactic, as I was joined in battle by a massive creature that served as a boss. Utilizing this new technique I was able to bring down this beast, and with it, bring an end to the demo.
Before I played this demo, I had anticipated giving Bayonetta a rental. The screenshots made it look interesting, but I hadn't seen the game in action. Having already drawn a comparison to Devil May Cry from the pictures, I thought it would be a good game to try. After slashing my way through the demo, I will be purchasing this game tomorrow. The crisp controls combined with the smooth combo system are just too tempting to deny. Add in the flashy kill moves (I'm a sucker for shiny things) and an attractive, albeit demonic, female lead with bookworm appeal (I am a man, after all), I can't wait.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Welcome to the year of the future
With all of the great games that were released in the last few months, you might be thinking it's time for your wallet to have a well-earned rest. In the past few years, you would have been right. The New Year Holiday typically marks the end of major publishers release schedule as they go into cruise control well past spring.
2010 is not one of those years.
With such a cornacopia of games coming out this spring, it's hard not to make a double take to the calendar. Gamers as a whole have been clamoring for a wallet relief schedule and our cries have finally been answered. However, it's not as much of a blessing as it might seem.
There are still Triple-A titles being thrown at you in quick succession. You most likely won't have any more money to spend on them either. If you were lucky enough to recieve a Christmas bonus, it was probably spent on other people's gifts, and hours are probably not as plentiful as they were before the holiday. Face it, you need to make smart decisions. Being impulsive will most likely lead to disappointment and lost opportunities.
Making an informed decision isn't about following a score at the end of an article or television segment. As popular as Xplay is, in my opinion, it's a much better source of entertainment than information. I'm not saying avoid Xplay, but you need to be able to use the resources out there to the fullest. Laughing at a couple of jokes and listening for a number is not the way to make an informed decision. Sessler and Webb give out pros and cons for a game they review, most tend not to listen unless there is a joke.
It's time for you to do some actual research, look at a few different reviews for a game. What one person finds contrived, another may find brilliant. Games are similar to music, each person has a different taste. Your taste may be similar to others, like IGN or GamePro; there's nothing wrong with that. If you can rely on a source to find new games and valuable opinions on the ones you want, then you've hit the gaming Mecca.
For those still on your quest, I hope that I will be very servicable to your needs. I am one person, one mind, in a cloud of companies. To ammend a popular phrase, I work hard for my money, and I want it to work hard for me. And if myself and my money can put in a couple of miles for your needs, all the better.
I am Daniel Woodson, and this is The Next Level. I'm glad you could level up with me.
2010 is not one of those years.
With such a cornacopia of games coming out this spring, it's hard not to make a double take to the calendar. Gamers as a whole have been clamoring for a wallet relief schedule and our cries have finally been answered. However, it's not as much of a blessing as it might seem.
There are still Triple-A titles being thrown at you in quick succession. You most likely won't have any more money to spend on them either. If you were lucky enough to recieve a Christmas bonus, it was probably spent on other people's gifts, and hours are probably not as plentiful as they were before the holiday. Face it, you need to make smart decisions. Being impulsive will most likely lead to disappointment and lost opportunities.
Making an informed decision isn't about following a score at the end of an article or television segment. As popular as Xplay is, in my opinion, it's a much better source of entertainment than information. I'm not saying avoid Xplay, but you need to be able to use the resources out there to the fullest. Laughing at a couple of jokes and listening for a number is not the way to make an informed decision. Sessler and Webb give out pros and cons for a game they review, most tend not to listen unless there is a joke.
It's time for you to do some actual research, look at a few different reviews for a game. What one person finds contrived, another may find brilliant. Games are similar to music, each person has a different taste. Your taste may be similar to others, like IGN or GamePro; there's nothing wrong with that. If you can rely on a source to find new games and valuable opinions on the ones you want, then you've hit the gaming Mecca.
For those still on your quest, I hope that I will be very servicable to your needs. I am one person, one mind, in a cloud of companies. To ammend a popular phrase, I work hard for my money, and I want it to work hard for me. And if myself and my money can put in a couple of miles for your needs, all the better.
I am Daniel Woodson, and this is The Next Level. I'm glad you could level up with me.
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